While the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh “had a hand” in over 55 instances of communal violence during the last five years of the Congress rule in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had not done much to prevent such incidents, CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat said here on Sunday.
“There have been 55, big and small, incidents of communal violence in Rajasthan during the Congress rule. We know that the RSS and the BJP had a hand in these incidents...its is their politics...they want to divide people to promote their politics...but what was [Chief Minister] Gehlot doing? What was Congress doing?” asked Ms. Karat.
Speaking at a joint convention of the newly formed political alliance, the Rajasthan Loktantrik Morcha, Ms. Karat also targeted Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and slammed “brand Hindutva.”
“These people are not ashamed...the name of Hindutva...and a Dalit who wants to worship is not allowed into a temple...that is the brand of Hindutva,” she said.
Targeting BJP state president Vasundhara Raje, Ms. Karat said the former Chief Minister stayed out of the State for the last four and a half years and had re-surfaced only to seek votes.
“Being in the opposition, Ms. Vasundhara Raje did not raise a single issue in the assembly...now she has woken up at the time of elections and claims to bring Suraaj,” said Ms. Karat.
“But during her Suraaj, there were not one, not two but a 100 instances of lathicharge and firing at farmers and workers of Rajasthan,” she said.
